Junction-box for electric-lighting systems.



No. 668,666. Patented Feb. 26, 190i.

m. WADDELL.

JUNGTIDN BOX FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

(Appliution flled Jun. 3 1900.) (lo Iodol.) 2 Sh6ota8hnet l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIc MONTGOMERY WADDELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TOTHE ELECTRIC AXLE LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

JUNCTION-BOX FOR ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,666, dated February 26, 1901.

Application filed January 31,1900. Serial No. 3,485. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern: m cnt of parts and being shown as partly Be it known that I, MONTGOMERY \VAD- broken away. Fig.2representsaverticalsec- DELL, a subject of the Queen of Great Brittion thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 ain, residing at New York, in the county of represents a bottom plan view with the cover 5 New York and State of New York, have inclosed, the inner parts being indicated in vented certain new and useful Improvements dotted lines. in Junction-Boxes for Electric-Lighting Sys- Similar letters of reference indicate similar tems; and I do hereby declare the following parts throughout the several views. to be a full, clear, and exact description of the Referring to the drawings, A indicates the I0 invention, such as will enable others skilled bodyportion ofabox orcasing,which may conin the art to which it appertains to make and veniently consist of a casting provided with use the same. perforated lugs afor attachment to the bottom My invention relates to certain new and of a car and with flanges or nipples Z), having useful improvements in junction-boxes for insulating-bushings 'u for the admission of [5 electric lighting systems, particularly for the electric cables or conductors.

those systems wherein secondary batteries are To the casing A is bolted or otherwise seemployed, as upon railway cars or trains, for cured the base-plate C, of soapstone, vulcansupplying the-lighting-circuits. In such sysized fiber, or other insulating material, upon terns the secondary batteries carried upon the which the terminals are mounted. The ter- 20 car or train and adapted to be charged at inminals S B receive, respectively, the positervals are preferably connected up in paraltive and negative conductors leading from lel when discharging into the lighting-circuit, the switchboard of the lighting-circuit on the which has the usual controlling-switchboard. ear or train. The terminals C H receive, re- It is desirable, however, to charge the batspectively, the positive and negative con- 25 teries in series, and to this end my improved ductors leading from the dynamo or other junction-box is provided with separate sets charging source. The terminals R receive, of terminals so related to each other that when respectively, the positive and negative conthe shiftable parts are in the charging posiductors leading from a secondary battery, tion the batteries are in series and the switchand the terminals L receive the correspond- 8o 0 board entirely disconnected, whereas when ing terminals leading from another secondary the shiftable parts are in the discharging pobattery. All of these terminals are stationsition the batteries are in parallel and the ary and are spaced apart and are insulated charging-terminals are entirely disconnected. from each other by the base-plate C. I prefer This latter adjustment should of course be to construct them of brass blocks or standards 5 given to the parts by the operator at the con- 0, having binding-posts d for the conductors clusion of the charging operation, whereupon and having lugs with anchoring-screws to afhe closes the lid or cover of the junction-box, ford substantial basal support. The blocks and in order to insure against carelessness c are slitted for the reception of the copper on his part in this respect the construction clips 6, whose inner ends are secured within 40 is such that it is impossible for him to close the slits, so as to be firmly held therein.

the lid until he has made the adjustment re- To connect up the terminals in the manner ferred to, the failure of the lid to close advisdesired, I provide a series of metallic pieces ing him at once of his oversight. fg h and mount them upon an oscillatory sup- A further feature of the invention is that port, so that when shifted to the limit oftheir 5 45 all of the terminals of the box may be entirely throw in one direction they will occupy the disconnected by bringing the parts into an position shown in Fig. 1 and when shifted to intermediate or neutral adjustment. the limit of their throw in the opposite direc- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 tion they will occupy the position shown in represents a bottom plan view of a junctiondotted lines in Fig. 3, these positions or ad- 50 box embodying my invention, the cover being justments corresponding, respectively, to the swung back to disclose the interior arrangechargingand dischargingadjustments.

The oscillatory support for the bridge-pieces preferably consists of two metallic disks having raised annular rims, against which rest the rings 7; Z, of hard rubber or other insulating material. The bridge-pieces are clamped between the rings kl by means of screws m, which at their passage through said bridge-pieces are insulated therefrom by the hard-rubber washers n. as indicated in Fig. 2. The disk is provided with operating-handles 0, a stud p, of insulating material, serving to limit its throw in opposite directions. The bridge-pieces are provided with tongues or blades whose upper and lower sides are carefully and uniformly turned (in a lathe after the bridge-pieces are clamped in place) so as to enter with slight but sufficient friction the space between the upper and lower members of the spring-clips of the terminals. The disks 2' and j, with their attached parts, are mounted with slightfriction to oscillate upon the stationary pin 9', having the clampingnut s and integral or fixed collar 6 for supporting it rigidly from the base-plate C.

On reference to Fig. 3,wherein the outline of the bridge-pieces is indicated by dotted lines, it will be noted that the bridge-piece f is provided with two blades and that the bridgepieces g and h are each provided with three blades. A consideration of said figure will also show that in the adjustment therein iiidicated the charging-terminals are entirely disconnected, the plus-terminals of the batteries and switchboard connected, and the minus-termimils of the batteries and switchboard connected, thereby putting the batteries in parallel with each other and across the 1ighting-circuit, as is desired in coupling them up for use. When the batteries require charging, the entire switch (by which I mean the disksand their adjuncts) is oscillated into the adjustment indicated in Fig. 1, whereupon the switchboard-terminals are entirely disconnected and the batteries are put in series with each other and with the chargingdynamo.

It will be apparent that by oscillating the switch to an adjustment intermediate between the charging and discharging position all of the bridge-pieces will break contact with the ter1ninals,and consequently allof the terminals will be disconnected. The slight friction with which the switch turns upon its center pin permits it to remain in this position when desired.

The box or casing A is provided with a cover B, hinged at a; and adapted to be held when closed by means of swing-bolts g, which engage between lugs to and carry lock-nuts, as shown. On the inner side of the cover is mounted a wooden block .2, so located thereon as to prevent the cover from being closed except when the switch is in the discharging position. At all other positions of the switch the block .5 comes in contact with one of the handles 0 if an attempt is made to close the cover. The operator must therefore oscillate the switch fully into the discharging position, thereby taking the corresponding handle out of the path of the block .2 before the cover can be closed. The arrangement is such, moreover, that the block just clears the handle when the cover is closed, and the block therefore serves as a safeguard orstop to prevent accidental retrogression or shifting of the switch after it has been set, and thus locked in the discharging adjustment.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. Ajunction-switch for secondary-hamery distribution systems, consisting of a pair of terminals for each secondary battery employed, a pair of terminals for the charging source and a pair of terminals for the distribution-circuit, in combination with a nor mally stationary shiftable switch having bridge-pieces so disposed with. relation to the terminals that in one position of adjustment the secondary batteries will be put in series with each other and with the charging source while the terminals of the distrilnition-circuit will be disconnected, and, when in another position of adjustment, the batteries will be put in parallel with each other and across the distribution-circuit and the charging-terminals will be disconnected and means for setting the ln'idge-pieces into eitherof said positions with respect to the terminals; substantially as described.

2. A junction-switch for secondary-battery systems comprising a pair of terminals for each of the secondary batteries employed, a pair of terminals for the charging source and a pair of terminals for the distributioncircuit, said pairs of terminals being arranged in a circular series, in combination with a centrally-disposed normally stationary shiftable switch-plate carrying bridge-pieces, so spaced with reference to the terminals that in one position of adjustment they will place the batteries in series with each other and with the charging source, and, in another position of adjustment, they will place the batteries in parallel with each other and across the distribution-circuit and means for setting the switch-plate into either of said positions to bring the bridge-pieces and terminals into the relations specified or into an intermediate position with all the terminals disconnected, substantially as described.

3. A junction-switch for secondary-battery systems, comprising a pair of terminals for each of the secondary batteries employed, a pair of terminals for the charging source, and a pair of terminals for the distribution-circuit, said pairs of terminals being arranged in a circular series, in combination with a centrally-disposed shiftable switch-plate carrying bridge-pieces, so spaced with reference to the terminals that in one position of adjustment they will place the batteries in series with each other and with the charging source, and, in another position of adjustment, they will place the batteries in parallel IIO with each other and across the distributionoircuit, and a box within which the terminals and switch-plate are mounted, said box being provided with a cover constructed and arranged to close when the switch-plate is in the latter position of adjustment only; substantially as described.

4. A junction-switch comprising outlying terminals and a central shiftable plate carrying bridge-pieces adapted to cooperate with said termin a1s,said switch-plate being mounted upon a stud and consisting of disks between which the bridge-pieces are clamped, insulating material interposed between'the disks and bridge-pieces and means for securing the bridge-pieces and insulating material between the disks; substantially as described.

5. A junction-switch comprising outlying terminals and a central shiftable plate carrying bridge-pieces adapted to cooperate with said ter1'nina1s,said switch-plate being mounted upon a stud and consisting of disks between which the bridge-pieces are clamped, insulating material placed between the disks and bridge-pieces one of said disks having operating-handles and means for securing said disks together; substantially as described.

6. A junction-switch box comprising a casing containing outlying terminals and a central oscillatory switch-plate having operatinghandles, a stop for limiting the throw of the plate in opposite directions and a cover for the box and means to prevent the closing of the cover until after the switch has been moved to one limit of its throw; substantially as described.

7. A junction-switch, comprising a casing containing an insulating-base, a series of terminals arranged in circular order upon said base, a central oscillatory switch-plate carrying bridge-pieces, having tongues or blades adapted to make contact with clips projecting from the terminals, said switch-plate having operating-handles, a stop for limiting the throw of the switch-plate in opposite directions, and a cover having a projection on its inner side, said projection being in the path of retrogression of the switch-plate when the cover is closed, thereby locking the switchplate in position; substantially as described.

8. A junction-switch box containing a series of terminals, together with a shiftable switch therefor, said box being provided with a cover and means to prevent the closing of the cover until after the switch has been moved to the desired position; substantially MONTGOMERY WADDELL.

Witnesses:

J OHN G. PENNIE, DANIEL W. EDELIN. 

